Fresh Start Recovery

09/27/2025

Fresh Start Recovery was honoured to sponsor and attend the Recovery Capital Conference this week at the TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary. 🇨🇦 The Government of Alberta was the main sponsor and has been a leader in continuing to support and implement the type of solutions of recovery-oriented systems of care Fresh Start Recovery has been providing Albertans for over 30 years.

Bringing together attendees from across Canada — including healthcare leaders, counsellors, recovery coaches, people with lived experience, and so many more — the conference highlighted what becomes possible when recovery organizations, professionals, and communities unite.

Much like Recovery Day, it was a powerful reminder of the strength we find in coming together: breaking down stigma, celebrating recovery, and advancing the conversation on how we heal individuals and families through recovery.

Thank you to our friends at Last Door Recovery Society for organizing and to the rest of the sponsors for creating space where community can grow. And thank you again to the Government of Alberta for their on-going support.

09/26/2025

Today we joined community partners and leaders in Lethbridge to celebrate the opening of a new supportive housing project, led by our friends and community partners at the Lethbridge Housing Authority.

The project was gifted the Blackfoot name Nokoowaayi — meaning “my home” — by Martin Heavy Head. This powerful moment reminded us that housing is not only about shelter, but about belonging, dignity, and connection.

Safe and supportive housing is a cornerstone of wellbeing. We are grateful to witness this step forward and look forward to the impact it will have for those who will soon call Nokoowaayi their home. YourAlberta (Government of Alberta)

09/26/2025

Gratitude – Walking Forward Together

Today at Fresh Start Recovery, we celebrated another group completing their first phase of recovery.

This milestone is more than an ending—it’s the beginning of a new chapter. Each person has shown that recovery grows stronger when courage is met with community.

Together, they leaned in, supported one another, and discovered the strength that comes from connection. Their journey reminds us that healing is not a solitary path—it’s shared, step by step, heart by heart.

To the group we honoured today: your resilience and hope light the way for others. As you step forward, know that this community continues to walk alongside you, with gratitude for the strength you’ve shown.

09/26/2025

Volunteer Call: Casino Fundraiser at Elbow River Casino

Are you looking to make a meaningful difference while having a great time? We’re recruiting volunteers for Fresh Start Recovery’s next Casino fundraiser on Sunday, October 12 and Monday, October 13 at Elbow River Casino.

These events are a lot of fun and raise crucial funds so we can continue housing, treating and supporting people affected by addiction. If you’re enthusiastic, dependable, and community-minded, we’d love to have you on the team.

We need volunteers for multiple positions and reliable back-ups for every role in case someone can’t make their shift. Your contribution will be invaluable.

📧 To volunteer or learn more, please email Rod at rodg@freshstartrecovery.ca or call and ask for him at 403-387-6266.

Thank you for supporting a cause that changes lives. We are Together in Recovery.

09/25/2025

September Milestones – Harvesting Hope Together

During National Recovery Month and Recovery Week in Alberta, we watched September feel like harvest time. Seeds planted in honesty, consistency, and community have grown into real change.

We saw new shoots of courage in those just starting. We saw the steady strength of alumni whose roots run deep. We saw patterns broken, laughter return, and people gather what they’ve worked so hard to grow.

Milestones aren’t just numbers. They’re proof that daily actions add up, that connection matters, and that recovery thrives when we show up for one another.

To everyone who marked a milestone this month—whether weeks or many years—you’ve helped fill the table for others. Your progress reminds us that we harvest hope together.

09/24/2025

Recovery Day reminded us what happens when community shows up together. As proud members of Alberta’s recovery community for over 30 years, and part of Recovery Day Calgary since the inaugural event more than a decade ago, Fresh Start was honoured to be there. To see so many people together on this day was truly beautiful.

Congratulations to our friends at Last Door Recovery Society from BC for organizing. Thank you to the Government of Alberta, city officials, fellow sponsors, volunteers, alumni, families, and partners who stood with us to break down stigma and celebrate recovery. Fresh Start was proud to support as a sponsor among many incredible organizations.

Guided by Generosity, Gratitude, and Community, we will keep building partnerships and creating spaces where people feel welcome, supported, and connected. We are stronger together, and together we recover.

Last Door Recovery SocietyYourAlberta (Government of Alberta)

09/23/2025

Gratitude – Standing Strong Together

This Friday at 1:15 PM in Calgary, we’ll gather to celebrate a new group completing their first phase of recovery.

Under the Fresh Start arch, we’re reminded that recovery is built—beam by beam, step by step—and no one does it alone. Like the words on our front steps say, “Welcome home, you are no longer alone.” Today’s milestone honours courage, consistency, and community.

Our Lethbridge community and friends beyond will join in person or online as we reflect on connection, reflection, and growth.

Join us for lunch or request the livestream link by emailing Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca

09/23/2025

Our 2024 Annual Report — Generosity, Gratitude, Community

To our Family, Friends, Alumni, and Community,

As we reflect on 2024, our hearts are full of gratitude. Your generosity helped individuals, families, and communities recover from the effects of addiction. Thank you for being part of the fabric that holds us together.

Because of you, we continue to recover lives by housing, treating, and supporting people affected by addiction. Your support strengthens connection, restores hope, and changes outcomes. Together, we achieve more than we ever could alone.

We are Together in Recovery, grounded in Generosity, Gratitude, and Community.

We’re pleased to share our 2024 Annual Report and a short video that brings the message to life. We hope you see your impact on every page and feel the same sense of pride we do in what we accomplished together.

🎥 Watch the accompanying video
📖 Read the 2024 Annual Report: https://pamphlets.freshstartrecovery.ca/report2024

💛 Donate now: https://www.freshstartrecovery.ca/donate/

Tip: If you’re viewing the report in a flipbook, click the edge of each page to continue.

Thank you for standing with us.

With gratitude,
Bruce Holstead

09/23/2025

Our 2024 Annual Report — Generosity, Gratitude, Community

To our Family, Friends, Alumni, and Community,

As we reflect on 2024, our hearts are filled with gratitude. Your generosity has fuelled the work of helping individuals, families, and communities recover from the effects of addiction. Thank you for being part of the fabric that holds us together.

Because of you, we continue to recover lives by housing, treating, and supporting people affected by addiction. Your support strengthens connection, restores hope, and changes outcomes. Together, we achieve more than we ever could alone.

We are Together in Recovery — grounded in Generosity, Gratitude, and Community.

We are pleased to share our 2024 Annual Report. We hope you see your impact on every page and feel the same sense of pride we do in what we accomplished together.

👉 Read the 2024 Annual Report: https://pamphlets.freshstartrecovery.ca/report2024

Tip: If you’re viewing in a flipbook, click the edge of each page to continue through the report.

Thank you for standing with us.

With gratitude,
Bruce Holstead
Executive Director

Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

09/22/2025

September Milestones: Harvesting Strength

As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, we’re reminded that growth takes many forms. Sometimes it is bold like the colours of fall. Sometimes it is steady like a harvest gathered one day at a time. Each milestone in recovery is proof of strength, perseverance, and hope.

This Wednesday at 6:30 PM, clients, alumni, staff, supporters, and friends will come together to celebrate the journeys unfolding among us.

Every milestone carries its own story of storms weathered, lessons gathered, and courage renewed. Together these stories create a canopy of support where no one stands alone.

Recovery is more than personal progress. It is shared strength, connection, reflection, and growth. It is Generosity, Gratitude, and Community in action.

Every milestone carries its own story of storms weathered, lessons gathered, and courage renewed. Together, these stories create a canopy of support where no one stands alone.

Let’s honour every step, every season, and every story. Together.

09/20/2025

Gratitude – Stepping Into New Chapters

Today in Lethbridge, we celebrated a new group completing the first phase of their recovery at Fresh Start. This is not the end of a path. It is the beginning of one filled with possibility, growth, and hope. Every step they took shows strength, determination, and the courage to change.

Recovery thrives in connection. It grows in moments of encouragement from peers, wisdom from alumni, support from staff, and the love of community. Together, we show that healing is not only possible. It is powerful.

To our newest alumni, your next steps start now. Let what you learned guide you, let the connections you made sustain you, and keep believing in yourself as the chapters ahead unfold. Your community stands with you in connection, reflection, and growth.